HWA Announces Summer Scares Reading Program 2027 Spokesperson and Timeline

HWA Announces Summer Scares Reading Program 2027 Spokesperson and Timeline

The Horror Writers Association (HWA), in partnership with Booklist, Book Riot, iREAD, and NoveList®, a division of EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO), is proud to announce the ninth annual Summer Scares, a reading program that provides libraries and schools with an annual list of recommended horror titles for adult, young adult (teen), and middle-grade readers. 

Summer Scares is proud to announce the 2027 spokesperson, USA Today Bestselling middle-grade author, Ally Russell:

“As a wee ghoul, my best friend and I would trade scary books like currency. We didn’t get to see each other often, but I lived for those weekend sleepovers, because I knew we would spend a lot of our time together talking about scary books. The last book I remember trading was Give Yourself Goosebumps: Night in Werewolf Woods by R.L. Stine. I don’t remember why we stopped trading; I suspect we simply outgrew the practice. Sharing scares with a friend and fellow reader at that young and pivotal age turned me into a lifelong reader. Reading doesn’t have to be a solitary act, and the Summer Scares program understands that. As a young aspiring author, books were my creative writing teachers. Books taught me how to spell and define words, develop plots, write dialogue, and most importantly, foster friendships. Today, I write horror books for young readers because I had books. With Summer Scares, I hope readers of all ages will feel invited to partake in the horror genre and find community in the sharing of scary stories.”

Russell, along with a committee of six library workers, will select three recommended fiction titles in each reading level, totaling nine Summer Scares selections. The program aims to encourage a conversation at libraries worldwide about the horror genre across all age levels and ultimately attract more adults, teens, and children interested in reading. Official Summer Scares designated authors will also make themselves available to public and school libraries.

The committee’s final selections will be announced on February 12, 2027. Russell, along with some of the selected authors, will kick off Summer Scares at the 10th Annual HWA Librarians’ Day (Friday, June 11, 2027) during StokerCon® 2027 at the Westin Pittsburgh. Click here for more information.

Additional content, including podcast appearances, free webinars with Booklist, and lists of suggested titles for further reading, will be made available by the committee and its partners beginning early in 2027 and continuing through the spring and summer. Of special note is the annual Summer Scares Programming Guide, overseen by HWA Libraries Co-Chair Konrad Stump.

“The 2027 guide, developed by the HWA Libraries team, is packed with everything library workers need to engage their communities with these great titles, including an iREAD partner title in each age group,” states Stump. “From ideas for author events, partner programs with University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, book discussion groups, and much more, this guide is the library worker’s roadmap to creating exciting and meaningful experiences for their patrons through Summer Scares that they can use as a jumping off point for future horror-themed programming.” 

The guide will be available beginning March 1, 2027, on the Summer Scares Resource page here.

To see past year’s Summer Scares titles, spokespeople, and programming guides, please visit the program archive here.

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates coming soon from Booklist, Book Riot, iREAD and NoveList®, as well as at the HWA’s website: www.horror.org and RA for All Horror. 

Questions? Reach out to HWA Libraries Co-Chairs Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump via email: libraries@horror.org.

Summer Scares 2027 Committee Members:

Ally Russell is the USA TODAY bestselling author of It Came from the Trees. Her other books include the Mystery James series, which was nominated for an Edgar Award and a Stoker Award, Down Came the Spiders, and Book of Outcasts (Wednesday). She grew up on a steady diet of Halloween parties, horror films, Unsolved Mysteries, and Goosebumps books. She has always loved scary stories, and got her MFA from Simmons University and, eventually, a job working in children’s publishing. She hails from Pittsburgh—ground zero for the zombie apocalypse. Ally lives with her husband and her black cats. She’s afraid of the woods, the dark, and heights. You can find her at @onedarkally on Instagram or allyrussellbooks.com. 

Becky Spratford is a Readers' Advisory Specialist in Illinois. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All, writes reviews for Booklist, and  has a horror review column for Library Journal. Becky is the author of three text books for library workers and the editor of the Bram Stoker Award winning Why I Love Horror [Saga Press, 2025]. Becky is currently serving as the Horror Writers Association’s Secretary and Co-Chair of their Libraries Committee.

Konrad Stump co-chairs HWA Libraries, including the Horror Writers Association’s summer reading program Summer Scares, and StokerCon Librarians’ Day, a full day of continuing education that connects authors and librarians and provides both with the necessary tools to engage communities with the horror genre. He also coordinates the Springfield-Greene County (MO) Library’s long-running Oh, the Horror! series, an annual celebration of the horror genre. His work has appeared in Library Journal, NoveList, Booklist, Library Trends, and has been featured in Book Club Reboot: 71 Creative Twists (ALA) and The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror, third edition (ALA).

Carolyn Ciesla is an academic library director in the Chicago suburbs. She previously provided spooky programming to patrons as a teen and reference librarian, and has reviewed horror titles for Booklist for several years. She also teaches horror to unsuspecting first-year university students. 

Kelly Jensen is a Senior Editor at Book Riot, the largest independent book website in North America. She covers all things young adult literature and has written about censorship for over 10 years. She is the author of three critically acclaimed and award-winning anthologies for young adults. In 2024, she was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker for her anti-censorship work. She earned similar recognition for her work in 2022, when she was named a person of the year from Publishers Weekly and a Chicagoan of the Year by the Chicago Tribune. She has twice earned commendation from the American Association of School Librarians for her anti-censorship work. Prior to her work at Book Riot, Kelly was a public librarian for children, teens, and adults in several libraries in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. Horror is her jam.

Julia Smith is a senior editor at Booklist, where she works in the youth books department and harbors a deep love of middle-grade literature. Prior to her career at Booklist, she worked at an independent children's bookstore and in the Chicago Public Library system.

Yaika Sabat (MLS) worked in public libraries before joining NoveList as a Senior Readers’ Advisory Librarian, where she develops content to help library staff connect readers with books they’ll love. She is passionate about providing inclusive, reader-centered services; encouraging libraries to embrace horror; and, helping readers explore widely across genres and formats. While horror always takes her top genre spot, she enjoys trying other genres, loves graphic novels, and is an avid audiobook listener.

Attack of the Best Lists 2026: B&N

This post is part of my year-end "Attack of the Best Lists" coverage. To see every post in my "Attack of the Best Lists 2026" coverage [and more backlist best of the year options] you can click here.

Barnes & Noble has released their Best Books 2026 portal , and they are covering a lot of bases with 17 categories including books for all ages, in every genre, fiction and nonfiction categories, in audio and ebooks, and Spanish.

From the portal landing page: 

The Best Books of 2026

Meet the Best Books of 2026. This year’s new releases took us across the universe and beyond, with stories of hope, inspiring kids’ tales, thrillers that kept us guessing, memoirs of love and loss, fascinating historical deep dives and much more. With our hand-picked assortment of reads, you’ll find something exceptional for every reader.

You can access all 17 categories here.

Of course B&N has more than one best list. The more the merrier in their eyes because ultimately they want to sell as many books as possible. And as the holidays and gift-giving opportunities approach, they want it to be as easy as possible to help you find the right books for your people.

While getting the most sales is the reason, it is nice to see the categories themselves and the books found within a continuing to be diverse and inclusive. They have categories for Best Audiobooks, Best Spanish Books for adults and kids, and multiple nonfiction categories. They are thinking about how people read and making sure they see a category that works for them, their friends, and their family.

And as a result, it works for us as we serve our readers.

Speaking of the ease at which the average reader can access enticing titles, keep a list of those B&N categories to use as display titles and conversation starters anytime of year.

You can make a display anytime of year with these categories as well especially if you use the backlist of best lists. So while at the end of a year you can use these categories as a way to ask patrons to weigh in on their best reads of the last year, you can also use these categories and the backlist "Best" options  to make genre or reading category displays anytime of year. 

Ask you patrons to help by using this link to see how to turn a conversation starter into a display. 

Access the backlist of Best titles with my attack of the best lists coverage from year to year. (Unfortunately, B&N has disabled their portal pages for past years.) 

Look for MANY more "Attack of the Best Lists" posts coming soon. 

Understanding How Our Readers Feel About AI

I have been on the record (and even have a tag for it)  that we need to "Just Say No to AI." I have written about this in response to a variety of RA related situations. 

Last week, Book Insights published their first survey gathering the thoughts of book buyers on the use of AI in books.

But before I break down the survey, I need to let you all know a little but more about Book Insights (the source of this info). From their About page:

Who buys books in the US? Nobody has asked properly in a decade. We're asking now.

bookinsights.ai is running Consumer Compass — the first comprehensive study of the US book buyer since before BookTok, Romantasy, and the rise of audio and AI. In field now, with results in November 2026. Alongside that, I work with publishers directly on getting more from the data they already have.

Consumer Compass: A syndicated study of 5,000 US book buyers. Who they are, how they find books, where they buy and more.

• AI discovery, measured directly — which tools people use to find books, and what they actually ask them

• Teenagers answering for themselves — not their parents answering for them

• Genre by genre — because "the American book buyer" is an aggeregate of very different people

Now back to what they found out about what book buyer think about AI in books in this, their first wave of results. 

One of their most interesting results is : 85% of US book buyers say a book should disclose if AI was used in writing it. Comfort with AI varies sharply by age - the demand for disclosure doesn’t.

I am concerned, but not surprised, about how many people are fine with AI as long as it is disclosed. While I myself and not fine with any AI in what I read, understanding where the general reading public lands on this issue is very important for us to know.

Click through to look at the preliminary results. Especially to the data break down by age. And remember, this is wave one. There is more data being compiled including:

• The overall makeup of the US book buyer - who they are, where they discover and buy books, how they spread their book buying across formats
• How categories look different - from who the buyer is to where they learn about new books, and what drives their purchase decisions
• How audio fits into the overall universe of book buying

Keep Book Insights bookmarked and handy. We need as many "insights" into our readers as possible, especially as we fight to educate them on what they need to "Just Say No to AI."

Reactor’s Doing a Podcast!: Introducing Read Receipts for All Your Speculative Fiction Needs

Well I am excited for this news and I will let Reactor share it themselves here and below. But sign up ASAP. Reactor is already one of our most trusted Speculative fiction resources for all media, and now you can get it in your ears.

Reactor’s Doing a Podcast! Introducing Read Receipts

A unique perspective on contemporary genre fiction — launching Oct 28th!

Hello, Reactor Readers!

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our first podcast, Read Receipts, a weekly show about speculative fiction, genre, and nerd culture. Hosted by Reactor’s Senior Books Editor Christina Orlando, Read Receipts will share episodes starting on Wednesday, October 28, covering the latest conversations about science fiction, fantasy, horror, and more.

The highlight of the show are our monthly author roundtable discussions—by gathering some of the best and brightest writers of contemporary SFF for a lively group discussion around a common theme, trope, or subgenre each month, Read Receipts will give listeners a unique perspective on contemporary genre fiction. We’ll also be doing themed book clubs, media recommendations with the Reactor staff, and more.

Upcoming episodes will cover such topics as: 

• Lady knights, sword lesbians, and gender in medieval-inspired fantasy 
• The resurgence of dystopian speculative fiction, and why it matters now
• Contemporary gothic horror, ghosts, and generational trauma from a non-Eurocentric perspective

“You, dear reader listener, are the lucky one here,” says Reactor Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Lough. “Now you get to hear the funniest and most galaxy-brained takes on genre literature that were—until now!—locked away in Reactor’s Slack threads and editorial meetings. Christina Orlando is very good at this and I am running out of ways to say that I’m excited to see this podcast finally out in the world.” 

Read Receipts host Christina Orlando continues, “Talking about books with friends is one of life’s greatest joys, and that’s exactly what I wanted this podcast to feel like. And fortunately all my friends are nerds, writers, and critics, so we can really dig into it together. With the help of audio producer Gaby Iori, who has a background in book publishing, Read Receipts feels like a natural extension of what Reactor does best—being enthusiastic and deeply, wonderfully weird about SFF.” 

Look for Read Receipts on October 28

Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Reactor

Note: The Apple Podcast link is running behind, apparently! We’ll update as soon as we get the link.

Attack of the Best List 2026: Publishers Weekly Best Books Portal

This post is part of my year-end "Attack of the Best Lists" coverage. To see every post in my "Attack of the Best Lists 2026" coverage [and more backlist best of the year options] you can click here.

Once the Publishers Weekly best books portal goes live it is on! They are going to come fast and furious from here on at. Not only is PW's one of the first best lists of the year, but it  is also the most useful of the bunch. 

Look at those screen shots [above]. From the Best Books of 2026 page. On the PW Best Books portal you can access by all ages and genres as well as single click access going back to 2010! And it includes their Summer Reads picks and overall BEST titles all in one place. 

This inclusion of Summer Reads access is key because often, those books are better general read options but they don't always make the year end lists. This allows the PW Best Book portal to be a one stop shop for a wider range of "best" options fit for even more readers.

Nowhere will you find a resource that puts this many "sure bet" options in front of you so easily. There are literally hundreds of titles here, at your fingertips, both old and new, that you can confidently suggest to readers immediately. Readers who read across all age levels [down to infants] and in just about every genre. 

And, since every title is annotated, you also have a book talk [or annotation] for each title right there. You don't have to have read the book to suggest it. [Reminder: Use the Words of Others.]

I could keep gushing about how much I love this resource but I would rather you played around with it yourself.

Making this year's list even better (in my eyes), is that there is a horror book in their overall top 10. Not their genre lists...overall. And it is a title I gave a star to in Booklist-- Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun.

[They also have another book I loved, Mazywood by Tananarive Due in their best SF/F/H list]

But back to the annual PW Best Books Portal in general and not just this year in particular. Sure, we are all excited about 2026, but don't forget to look back at older titles, read the annotations, check genres you love and those you don't normally read-- especially those you don't normally read because you will learn much about the current state of that genre [trends, popular authors] this year and going back a few years. You can get access to some great sure bet suggestions AND brush up on your genre knowledge all in one place.

Spend some time really getting to know this resource. And then use it-- all of it including past years and both summer and year-end lists-- to make your own lists for your readers. Make displays [digital displays too], make suggested reading lists by genre, by year, by whatever you want. Just embrace the wealth of information available to you with one click and help readers in ways they would not think to help themselves.

Go check out this database of "sure bet" reads for any season, and keep it bookmarked for use anytime you need a solid suggestion [especially for those hard to satisfy readers]. 

And keep an eye out here on the blog for more "Attack of the Best Lists" posts coming as they are announced. And they will be coming  at a fast clip from today onward until the end of the year.

Becky and Stephen Graham Jones on Fated Mates Podcast

A few weeks ago, Stephen Graham Jones and I sat down with my old friend Jen Prokop and bestselling Romance author Sarah McLean to talk about Horror on their popular podcast Fated Mates. From their about page:

The most listened to romance novel podcast, Fated Mates is co-hosted by bestselling author Sarah MacLean and romance critic Jen Prokop. Weekly episodes include romance novel read-alongs and lively discussions of the work of the genre, highlighting the romance novel as a powerful tool in fighting the patriarchy…with absolutely no kink shaming.

Here is the page for our episode: 

S09.07: WHY HORROR WITH STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES AND BECKY SPRATFORD

We’re talking about the mythmakers again this week with a chat about romance’s sister genre, horror! We’re joined by NEA fellow, Bram Stoker Award winner and bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones, and librarian and horror expert Becky Spratford. We talk about Stephen’s lifelong love of horror, the way horror reflects the world, the rules of horror and how romance and horror are actually two sides of the same coin. Happy spooky season, book lovers. 

If you’d like to come over and talk about horror with us, please join us on the Fated Mates Discord, where you’ll find a few thousand other listeners who love talking about these books we love. Join the Fated Mates patreon to get access, and You also get one extra episode a month from us!!

Click on the image to listen

Please click through to see a list of all of the books, television, and movies we mentioned in this episode. There are A LOT and they use graphics to showcase them, So click through. 

And if you scroll past those images you also get these AMAZING notes:

• We are joined by two guests today, horror author Stephen Graham Jones and librarian Becky Spratford. Stephen’s newest book is Off the Reservation. You might also enjoy the book Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature, which was edited by Becky and contains an essay by Stephen.
• I tried to find the article about the fish in the tanker trunk and failed, but looks like transporting fish via truck has other horrors to offer us.
• The Summer Scares Program is now part of iRead, a national summer reading program. Maybe you’d enjoy the Books in the Freezer podcast, a reference to this classic scene from Friends.
• What are: slashers, extreme horror, and cosmic horror.
• Jordan Peele, John Krasinski, and David Gordon Green are three men who moved from comedy to horror.
• Just like they create a best romance list every year, the librarians at the New York Public Library’s also publish a Best Horror List.
• Hitchcock on suspense vs surprise.
• Thanks to Becky for the realization that romance and horror are the two genres with their own holidays. [Becky's note: I gave Grady Hendrix full credit for this in the podcast] 

The four of us had a great time chatting and I really do think it is a great resource for all of you. Sarah and Jen were great interviewers. They truly cared about us explaining WHY HORROR to their Romance audience. This is NOT a discussion on Horroromance. Not at all. It is two people well versed in Horror talking to two people who are well versed in Romance, and sharing their knowledge to the benefit of ALL readers.

I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording.

Communicate Better: What Happens to A Book That is Challenged But Not Removed in a High School Library via Book Riot

I talk at length about how bad we, as a profession are at communicating with the general pubic. I have a longer, more general post about that here. But I also have a tag for "communicate better" because whenever there is a big library issue, we DO NOT GET AHEAD OF IT and that hurts us.

This is absolutely true when it comes to the current book banning moment we have found ourselves in. Throughout my use of the communicate better tag, I have written about how instead of explaining how we build our collections, we hid our heads in the sand while nefarious actors were challenging our professional selections and convincing the public that we were trying to push an agenda.

Many thought that reason would win out so why draw more attention. But that was VERY wrong. And many more were just plain scared of people coming after them.

As a result, we have been playing catch-up while some library workers are fighting for their jobs defending intellectual freedom. We have been labeled groomers, sent bullets in the mail, been disparaged in the news. Sure many have rallied around us, but we are still putting out fires every single day. I mean, just this week I had to help a school library defend a challenge to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a book that is listed as a title in the core collections resource for high school libraries. 

But that leads me to another side of the book challenge coin-- what happens when a book is challenged but kept by a library?

This is an important part of the conversation, something we should be out there screaming from the rooftops to the public, especially those who agree with us. But again, we do not. Now some of it is because we are busy, but too often it is because we are scared. Scared to be honest about the process. Scared to share that the book is back. Even scared to attract more challenges. 

But as I said above, inaction due to fear does not work. What does work is what we literally have Masters Degrees in-- sharing information.

Thankfully, Book Riot has our back. They have done the leg work and compiled this excellent report, from the perspectives of a few libraries, on what happens when a book is challenged and not removed from a school library. 

These libraries have shared their real-world experiences, their processes (inducing tweaks that they have made as they went through them), and policies. This is not only a great resource for all of us, but it is also a way to communicate directly to their readers (who are also some of our fiercest supporters) how we do this important work. 

 Everyone working in any type of library with readers of all ages should read "What Happens to A Book That is Challenged But Not Removed in A High School Library."

And thank you to Book Riot for doing this work and setting the example of how we can communicate better.

Time to Plan for November with Help from Passively Recommending Books

I have been waist deep in October especially with 31 Days of Horror inching toward Halloween, but Halloween coming in just over a week also means November is just around the corner.

Are you ready? I am not. 

Don't worry though, Lila Denning over at Passively Recommending Books has a post to help you get ready to unshelve your collection.  

Here is the direct link and below is the full post.

Make reading Passively Recommending Books a regular part of your RA work. Lila not only has these monthly planning posts, but she regularly gives you the lists and ideas you need to improve and diversify your displays. You no longer need to worry about how to get those displays filled with books that wil interest readers, Lila is going the hardest part of it for you.

Planning to Unshelve - November Edition 

 It's already time to plan for November. I mentioned some ideas last year and you can find them here. For Thanksgiving (the big day in November in the USA) don't forget to put out cookbooks and entertainment books early. I would plan for November 1. Beyond that, a display with books about gratitude and thankfulness in general would be a nice way to include those who don't celebrate the holiday. 

Penguin Random House - 14 Books To Inspire Gratitude and Thankfulness

r/suggestmeabook - best books for gratitude and grounding yourself? Non religious

Goodreads - Gratitude Books

Laurel County Public Library - 15 Non-fiction Books To Inspire Gratitude and Thankfulness

Doing Good Together - 23 Favorite Children's Books About Gratitude to Inspire Everyday Thankfulness

The holiday of Diwali falls on November 8 this year. It is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists, Here is some information on the holiday from The Providence Journal. Spend some time looking into the holiday which can give you some inspiration for displays. Using the theme of light is a great option for this time of year. Here are some lists: 

Harris County Public Library - Diwali Novels for Adults

PBS - Celebrate Diwali with Books!

King County Library System - Happy Diwali: Books to Celebrate the Holiday

r/Indiansread: Guys recommend me short book to read on diwali ( context below)

Goodreads: Listopia > Diwali Book Lists

Native American Heritage Month is something that I will mention again. I will also repeat my suggestion to mix fiction, non-fiction, music, and movies together. I would pair a youth display nearby as well. Find a broad range of books and include the depth and breadth of Native American culture. 

Finally, November 21 is World Hello Day. The idea is to greet ten people to encourage world peace by encouraging communication over physical force. This is another idea you can use with both adult and youth titles. Books about communication, peace, neighbors resolving conflicts, letter writing, and even books with Hello in the title. 

What are your November ideas? 

LJ Romance Genre Preview

It might still be spooky season but Library Journal has their Romance Genre Preview up this month for all to read and use to prepare our collections and RA service for the coming months. Like all genre previews, this list looks at the books coming out in the next 6 months and the author uses their knowledge of the genre to use these pre-pub lists to talk about overall trends.

Yes these previews are chocked full of titles, but even if you do not order for your collections, these previews give you an overall sense of where the genre and its readers are at this exact moment in time.

This is how I approach my annual Horror Genre preview for LJ, and I know it is how the author of this Romance Preview does as well because she is someone I have known personally and professionally for over a decade. From her bio line: Katie Dunneback is a romance reader of over 35 years, writes romance under a pen name, and works at a federal library.

From the introduction of Katie's article:

Swoon-worthy Stories: Romance Preview, Library Journal

by Katie Dunneback

Dark romance, paranormal, and romantasy are the season’s key trends, while Westerns, cozies, and sports titles also delight.

As quickly changing as the publishing world can seem, the romance genre is holding steady, leaning into trends from 2025, with popular subgenres and tropes from last year further expanding their influence in the genre. In particular, dark romance and romantasy continue to dominate and are still counterbalanced by cozies. Sports romance remains a fan favorite, and Westerns have entrenched themselves even more strongly, with a growing popularity of cowboys as characters and ranches as settings. Historical romance is still in noticeably short supply, and literary references (a trend across genres) are still popping up in many new romances. This year, paranormal romances are making their way to the top of readers’ lists, and the perennial favorite second-chance-at-love stories are once again in demand.

Click here to read the entire preview article

For more Romance coverage from LJ including articles, display ideas, sure bets, reviews, and more, click here.